Gator

1976 "Come and get him."
5.8| 1h55m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 25 August 1976 Released
Producted By: United Artists
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

After his release from prison, notorious ex-con and moonshine distiller Gator McKlusky moves in with his father in a cabin in the Okefenokee Swamp. His bootlegging plans are cut short, however, when a federal agent tells McKlusky that he will lose custody of his 9-year-old daughter unless he helps bring down local crime lord Bama McCall. McKlusky enlists the help of reporter Aggie Maybank and a few local eccentrics to bring down McCall's empire.

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Reviews

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
bkoganbing Burt Reynolds both plays the title role and repeats his character from White Line Fever in this film Gator. Reynolds played one of his most endearing characters as the amiable moonshiner who has certain talents and the right acquaintances that an ambitious Governor of Georgia needs at the moment.As we saw in White Line Fever Reynolds was a tough man for law enforcement to deal with. But Mike Douglas, the TV host not Kirk's son, is the Governor who has a Phoenix City like county that is gaining national attention and putting a crimp on his plans for higher office.As it turns out Reynolds happens to know the boss of said county who is played by country singer Jerry Reed. They've got history together and Reynolds has to be hammer-locked into cooperating by federal investigator Jack Weston. But one look at Reed's operation, particularly one aspect of it, and Reynolds then becomes a willing crusader.Also helping out are Lauren Hutton and Alice Ghostley and this is the fantastic four of Georgia. Gator as a film is nicely paced between some good old boy comedy, serious drama, and some really nice action sequences especially at the climax. I'd give it a look and for Burt Reynolds fans, Gator is a must.
bensonmum2 A two-time loser like Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) will do anything to avoid a third strike and a long prison stint. So when a big city revenuer asks for Gator's help, what choice does he have? Gator's mission is to get the goods on Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), the nasty crime boss of a neighboring county. Gator gets something else he hadn't counted on, however, when he falls for television reporter Aggie Maybank (Lauren Hutton). Can he get the girl and the goon?As is the case with most sequels, Gator is a vastly inferior movie to its predecessor, White Lightning. Everything that made that movie so good and so memorable is missing from Gator. While there are a few good moments like the opening boat chase, the movie doesn't have the same gritty feel to it that characterized White Lightning. Gator trades much of the action of White Lightning for a tired, dull romance between Reynolds and Hutton. Not only isn't it believable (especially if you know the Gator character from the first movie), but the outcome of the relationship is terribly predictable. "Sappy" and Gator McKlusky just shouldn't be used together.But the most offensive part of Gator is Burt Reynolds. In White Lightning, he played it straight. From my review of White Lightning, "One of the coolest things about White Lightning is that it presents Burt Reynolds as an actor at the top of his game. This was a Burt Reynolds who seemed to actually care about the final product and not just yucking it up with his buddies on screen." In Gator, far too often Reynolds reverts to the clown he would become in movies like Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run. That laugh of his just grates on my nerves. There are times in Gator when Reynolds and Reed are on screen together that I swear it's like a test run for Smokey and the Bandit. And it's not surprising to see Hal Needham's name in the credits as Second Unit Director.Overall, Gator is a huge disappointment. I'm being generous with my 3/10 rating.
magellan333 What a disappointment this film was. I was pleasantly surprised with the film's predecessor, White Lightning. While no master piece in film, White Lightning was an enjoyable film set in the deep south. Gator on the other hand leaves so much to be desired. The film opens with one of the most ridiculous chase scenes I have ever seen. There is little improvement as the film goes on. Jerry Reed plays a kingpin and does not do it very convincingly. Burt Reynolds, as Gator, does not seem nearly as tough this time around. Perhaps his second stint in prison made him soft? It seems Gator is not as confident this time around. The remaining cast members are most forgettable. Most forgettable was the slob/federal agent that Gator is in cahoots with. There was one good shot the entire movie. Gator visits with a 15 and a half year old prostitute and the part of the scene is shot in the reflection of a music box mirror. Somebody else must have suggested this to Burt Reynolds as the rest of his directing in this movie is deplorable. The film's failings can't lie solely on bad directing, most every film making element of "Gator" falls short. What a shame, Burt Reynolds seemed to be such a promising talent in White Lightning.
billybrown41 I'm a huge fan of Burt Reynolds. The man just won't go down, no matter what odds are stacked against him. People can say what they want about him, he's certainly no quitter and he usually comes out on top. He's been a hero of mine for most of my life and I've grown up loving his movies. Did anyone ever see the good ole boy flick "White Lightning"? Well this is the sequel. While this might be a strange sequel, I can understand why it is so different from the first. First off, this was made mostly for the drive-in crowd who may not have caught "White Lightning". This allowed the sequel to be a bit looser, where it didn't have to deal too much with what happened in "Lightning". Basically, what you're getting is a a continuation of the Gator McClusky character.Here's a quickie on the plot: Swamp rat, Gator McClusky is living the life after just being released from the State Penn. He's currently spending his days moonshining with the old man, when the feds come to him with a proposition. Infiltrate a group led by childhood friend, Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), get enough evidence to bust him, or go back to prison for making moonshine. It's a hard choice. Double cross a lifelong friend or go back to prison and lose custody of your daughter. Needless to say, Gator goes with option A and eventually, all hell will break loose.This was Burt's first shot at directing and, for the most part, he does okay. I have a few quibbles though. This is a PG-rated flick that was most-likely marketed as a comedy. There is plenty of comedy, in fact, from watching the first ten-minutes, you're going to think this is "Smokey and the Bandit" done in the swamps with Jack Weston playing a New York Smokey. There are a lot of laughs in this film and almost all of the characters are likeable. So this leads to my big bitch: Why in the HELL did everything go from lighthearted to cold and violent in the last act? Why did everything have to go down-hill in such a hurry? Maybe it's because the film spends too long meandering in pointless situations and then, when time comes for something significant, it happens lightning-quick. That is why I had such a hard time believing Jerry Reed as the bad guy. His performance was top notch but the film's pacing makes him go from good buddy, to mean, crooked, bad ass way too quickly. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but it's all very cofusing. Maybe, had the film been edited and trimmed a bit better, all of this would have been a bit more believable and things would have ran more smoothly. But being as it is, the whole thing has a very truncated feel. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. I'm giving this film a 7/10 because, despite it's flaws, it's a hell of a lot of fun and Burt gives the kind of performance that you've come to know and love. "Gator" is definitely a good movie, once you get past it's faults. It's a real shame that movies with this kind of theme aren't made anymore.